A ton of onions for your ex? Chinese gift taboos


David Ho   |   June 3, 2020

Heart broken Chinese girl sent a ton of onions to her ex-boyfriend after he broke up with her.

I mean, who doesn’t like gifts. But ……

Is it a good idea to give onions as a gift in China? What are the taboos in China when it comes to gifts?

Today we’re going to tell you what you should not give your Chinese friends as gifts and why.

There are many things that are taboos because of their pronunciation in Chinese.

NO.1 clocks & watches

Clock in Chinese is zhōng(钟), and the verb “to give … as a gift” is sòng(送). So giving a clock as a gift is sòngzhōng(送钟) in Chinese, which has the same pronunciation as sòngzhōng(送终), and sòngzhōng(送终) means attending a funeral or saying goodbye to some one who had passed away. That’s why it’s not a gift people would be happy to receive. 

NO.2 umbrella

Umbrellas in Chinese is sǎn(伞) and the pronunciation is very similar to sàn(散) which means break up or fall apart. And it’s not something people like to experience, that’s why umbrellas are not a popular gift in China.

NO.3  pears

Pear lí(梨) has the same pronunciation as lí(离) which means to leave, to be away from. And people do not like to say goodbye, so pears should not be included if you’re thinking of bringing fruits to your Chinese friends.

NO.4 shoes

Shoes xié/xiézi(鞋子) sounds the same as xié(邪) which means evil in Chinese, so it’s not a good idea to bring evil things to your friends.

NO.5 chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum jú huā(菊花)is the flower for people who have passed away. So people believe that giving chrysanthemum as a gift can bring bad luck to the person who receive the flowers. 

Hanlin Language Center is a professional language school. Our mission is to apply the knowledge learned in class into practice and help students achieve their learning targets. We spread Chinese culture, helping foreign students master Chinese language to better adapt to the local life. Our students come from different parts of the world, such as America, Britain, India, Japan, France,Germany, Belgium and so on, making Hanlin a real global village. Our Chinese students and foreign students are good learning partners,helping each other. We warmly welcome you to join Hanlin.

Tel: 0755-21616006  18927405201

WeChat: Angela-HLC or Maya-Feng

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/hanlinlanguagecenter

Website: http://hanlinlanguage.com/

Email: [email protected]

Address

(1)Futian Campus: Room 1606, Block D, Great China International Finance Center, NO. 1003 Shennan Road, Futian(gǎng shà běi station, EXIT A) 深圳福田深南大道1003号大中华国际金融中心D座1606(岗厦北站A出口,希尔顿酒店旁)

(2)Shekou Campus: 706, 7F, Building A, Li’an Business Tower, Wanghai Road, Shekou (dōng jiǎo tóu station Exit A)深圳蛇口望海路利安商务大厦 A 座 706(东角头 A 出口,中国海关旁蓝色大楼)